Dangerously Honest Advice from History’s Most Controversial Philosopher

In this video, we explore the life and philosophy of the controversial fifteenth century writer and philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli. His book, "The Prince," forever changed political science and how humanity considers the nature of good, evil, and effectiveness.

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[angrygopnik]

be kind but set boundaries; be patient but be assertive when required

[pineappletreetrunk]

Machiavelli was a disappointed idealist. He was a proponent of the Florentine Republic and was tortured for his beliefs. He saw that humans act in ways that were and are not in accordance with what they preach.

He simply held up a mirror to society and that society didn’t (and still doesn't) like it.

[shortykean]

Great tips. I also suggest reading a book 'Casanova: Path To Success'. It's a short read, but it gives key tips on self-improvement, assertiveness, how to attract people you want in your life, men's style and fashion... Everything you need to know as a man.

[dailyrepsofficial]

Assumptions of inferiority are often self-imposed barriers.

As Socrates said, 'To find yourself, think for yourself.'

Embrace your worth and challenge limiting beliefs. Your true potential shines when you trust in your own capabilities.

[justfrolikin]

Despite being unsettling, I love that the intent behind the book remains ambiguous.
Personally I do not se Machiavelli as amoral, rather a pessimistic pragmatist who recorded what he observed around him.

[DreadPirateRobertz]

"theres only 3 things to do in prison; workout, play cards, and cause trouble."
"What did you do?"
"Me? I read."
"What'd you read?"
"Machiavelli"
-A Bronx Tale

[nicolebogda]

I need to hear this daily. Turned 50 & can honestly look back & say kindness & being nice has been my largest personal flaw.

[Delibird]

Thank you for giving me a reason to be a decent human being again. For awhile I've been so disgusted with the thoughtlessness and inconsiderate, self-serving behaviors of others that I gave up on being considerate of others. Why should I always get the short end of the stick because everyone else lies, cheats, steals, breaks rules, and so on, and here I am getting screwed over because I abide by the rules. But you're right, if everyone sucks, then the world is not worth living in. Thanks.

[Galvorn]

Worst person ever is the narcissistic who actually believes he or she is good and decent human being when they are only masking.

[SneakySteevy]

Many people are confused between being nice and being kind.

Kindness involve some kind of honesty & reality elements that can be perceived as negative by weak minds.

[darinschmerin]

You can be kind without being nice. Life is all about balance. You can be vulnerable without being an idiot. Just align your character in the middle and you will be just fine.

[phyrr]

The point is, if you're willing to be pragmatic for the (actual) greater good, then yes you have to break rules, commit evil, etc. Psychos and Narcissists will always have the advantage because they operate this way (but without pursuing anything 'good'). If you want to compete, you have to be able to work on their level. It requires a reworking of your internal beliefs. You can still have good values, but you have to change how to see the acquisition of the outcomes pursued by those values. You can't see everything as A to B transactional - you better plan beyond Z like it's 4D Chess.

[michaeldavid]

The problem with Machiavellianism in its pure form is that you make so many enemies climbing over bodies to get to the top, that you have an army of people who are looking for any chance to depose you and will work in concert to do so.

What's more, the people you stepped upon on your way to the top will be the same people you meet on your way down.

This is why most tyrannical leaders don't die of old age. Even Stalin's death was oddly timed before his purge of the doctors and scientists in the Soviet Union. His official cause of death would always be ruled "natural" but he had random deadly seizure in the middle of the night that nobody attended to? On the eve of a huge purge that would've destroyed the USSR and Russia for generations.

The people around Stalin knew that if they got rid of all their scientists and doctors, they'd destroy themselves. How do we infer this motive for regicide existed? Because after Stalin died, the purges were immediately canceled.

When a long-planned program is canceled the day after the leader dies, it's obvious that those who took power also wanted it canceled before the leader died.

[Adam-uiyn]

Machiavelli's work reminds me of the effect of findings in evolutionary psychology have on the average person. When our true nature is shown, and the illusion of our grandeur completed destroyed people get emotionally upset. When there are direct parallels between how a human and pack rat act, or suggest we have a common ancestor with a poop flinging chimpanzee it's a massive blow to our ego and some people cannot handle it.

I think Machiavelli is a chaotic neutral, he's objective and the only side he's on is himself. He introduces chaos or anarchy for his own amusement. The only intent for his work is the process itself, like an artist that destroys his pieces right after they've been completed.

[ErgoComix]

Maybe because of my own cynicism, but when I read The Prince back in high school I always thought Machiavelli was being sarcastic about what he was saying.

[Dimnd_Hnd]

Respect is the imperfect symmetry of fear & love. Like a perfect storm of confliction - Myself.

[j]

The hardest part of virtue and truth is that it is unprofitable in the world. If you choose virtue and goodness you will likely loose at this life - because the wickedness of the world hates virtue and rewards the selfish. It's like that stupid Pearl Jam song, "way down here the wicked rule this world." I've never forgotten that line, it runs through my head all the time. It's true.

[aquamarine]

This is at odds to some of the conclusions drawn from the Prisoner's Dilemma thought experiment. It infers that when individuals in large communities cooperate instead of defecting against eachother, it leads to greater personal gain as well.
For those interested, Veritasium has an amazing video about it titled Game Theory, definitely a must watch.

"The Prince" is a fantastic example of an academic essay. When he makes a statement he backs it up with historic examples. For example, when he says you should put mercenaries to death once you're done with them he quotes the example of the occupation of Greece by the 10, 000 Turkish mercenaries that they employed to settle a domestic dispute.

[a.brounz]

"A man who is used to acting in one way never changes; he must come to ruin when the times, in changing, no longer are in harmony with his ways."

Should probably share this with my father